Breakage of fragile articles such as glass beverage bottles or other, similar easily broken or damaged containers during shipping and handling of the cartons with the fragile bottles contained therein has long been a significant problem for bottlers and other manufacturers, resulting in losses both in terms of damaged or destroyed products as well as returned products. In the past, to guard against such breakage, bottles and/or other types of fragile articles generally have been packaged and shipped or transported in thick, heavyweight cardboard or plastic cartons or shipping containers. For example, beverage bottles are often sold in groups of twelve, eighteen or twenty-four bottles within large, heavyweight cardboard or paperboard cases, with the bottles being individually sectioned to avoid contact therebetween. While providing significant protection for the bottles from contact with each other and breakage, such heavyweight paperboard cases or cartons typically are very expensive. Alternatively, thinner paperboard cartons such as for containing twelve packs of bottles also have been introduced and sold. While less expensive, such cartons, however, provide reduced protection against breakage of the bottles.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for cartons or containers having protection features to protect breakable articles stored therein and a system and method for activating such article protection features that addresses the foregoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.